2016: Year in review

Recent articles

The best depictions of autism in the arts

The books, shows and movies that most accurately portray autism are those that don’t dwell on the condition.

By Spectrum
26 December 2016 | 6 min read

Spectrum of color: Our favorite photos from 2016

Peruse our picks for the best science photos published on Spectrum this year.

By Spectrum
26 December 2016 | 2 min read

Quotes of the year

We took note of our favorite quotes from articles we published this year.

By Spectrum
26 December 2016 | 3 min read

2016’s spectrum of autism science

It’s been an eventful year, full of surprises.

By Spectrum
26 December 2016 | 4 min read

Young woman with autism asks: ‘Am I so different?’

A college student on the spectrum reflects on her struggles relating to others and gaining independence — and on the people who have given her hope.

By Claire Bachman
26 December 2016 | 5 min read
Illustration: A child looks up at an overhead light while less saturated figures walk around her.

For autism researchers, mundane moments spark ‘Eureka’ insights

Autism researchers reflect on the unusual episodes that spawned significant scientific projects.

By Ann Griswold
26 December 2016 | 5 min read
Heavy pill on scale

Hot topics of 2016

These five trending topics hint at important discoveries to come.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
26 December 2016 | 5 min read

Notable papers of 2016

Our picks for the top 10 papers of the year highlight leaps in our understanding of autism, as well as lingering gaps.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
26 December 2016 | 4 min read

From temperature to toys, strange stimuli skew rodent results

Interpreting mouse and rat behavior is tricky because of the hidden factors that can influence experiments.

By Jessica Wright
26 December 2016 | 2 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of inputs into a single neuron in the mouse visual cortex

‘Unbelievably beautiful’ evidence extends Nobel Prize-winning model of vision

Orientation tuning—the ability to distinguish a horizontal line from a vertical one or something in between—originates in the visual cortex, according to new mouse synapse imaging experiments.

By Claudia López Lloreda
29 May 2026 | 5 min read
Illustration of people connecting basic science.

Bringing basic biology back to INSAR

As the International Society for Autism Research has grown over the past two decades, basic science has become less central, Christine Wu Nordahl says. This year, she and other meeting organizers aimed to change that.

By Diana Kwon
28 May 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of scale balancing Petri dish and test tubes.

Every neuroscience lab needs an ethicist

The ethics issues that arise in neuroscience research are usually novel, unresolved and understudied. Embedding ethicists in labs helps scientists navigate these challenges and develop strategies in real time to prevent harm.

By Timothy E. Brown
27 May 2026 | 5 min read